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quality of hi-md??????

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sony_man

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On the other hand, I think the sweet spot is LP 132 bps, which is unfortunately not matched with the atracplus format.

Actually, I doubt they bothered because of the sheer space on a Hi-MD, and due to the fact that most braindead consumers would use Hi-LP as the program suggests, or try to be cute and use 48kbit/sec ATRAC3+.

However, you can fit seven hours of music on one Hi-MD in Hi-SP. That's almost too much for a disc-based audio player. I like having one or two albums per disc, because when I go to change albums, I put in a new disc. Operation complete. I don't have to spend years flipping through group after group until I find the right one. (iPod nonwithstanding; its navigation system is a wonder to behold.)

Also, since Hi-MD reformats standard 80-minute MiniDiscs to 305mb, you can still put 2 hours and 15 minutes of Hi-SP audio on there; almost as much as you could with LP2 on the old 170mb format.

I'm not too thrilled with SonicStage's lack of bitrate choices, but since I always use the higher bitrates if possible, usually I go with the lowest one that sounds transparent to me (and I'm not real picky about artifacts when listening on my decidedly substandard reproduction equipment, 'phones and cheap speakers). With MD that was LP2, with Hi-MD it's Hi-SP since I just can't do Hi-LP at all. :whatever:

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I see Hi-MD media being useful in one main way for people who keep music on discs permanently. I used to file album -> MD and ended up with 1000+ discs at one point, but with Hi-MD using Hi-SP (which is the best compromise by far) I can have one artist per disc (it's going to be rare I have more than 7 albums by one artist).

In Net MD times, I always found ATRAC3 132K a slightly annoying codec to use. Not better than 128K MP3 in many respects, and for me that's a bit low. It would be nice to see the equivalent of 192K MP3 in Hi-MD (164K ATRAC3+?) which is a universally OK quality I think for portable use, but it probably won't appear.

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It would be nice to see the equivalent of 192K MP3 in Hi-MD (164K ATRAC3+?) which is a universally OK quality I think for portable use, but it probably won't appear.

Wouldn't it be lovely?

But yes, it won't appear. Because implementing it would mean likely having to recall every single Hi-MD out there in order to update their codecs, since Sony aren't bloody likely to let customers patch their own units, if it's even possible.

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I must admit I was disappointed by the HD amp, especially in the sound-critical Line Out tests in how much the output of the NH1 deviated from the original, despite a codec that should preserve the original.

Any audio player with a digital amp (Sony HD, Sharp Auvi 1-bit, etc.) doesn't actually even have a true line-out, since the signal has been messed around with by the digital amp. Since a line output signal is supposed to be unequalized and un-screwed with, none of these devices really have a line-out that could compare to a unit lacking the digital amp, such as the previous Sony NetMD models, and the pre-Auvi Sharps.

Trying to compare the NH1's "line-out" (which isn't really intended for use as such) to an iPod line output is a no-brainer; of course the iPod (or the NJB3, or older MD units without a digital amp) will be better since it's a flat signal identical to the recorded signal.

As such, I would not use my DS8 to play a source that I recorded to PC as it is equipped with a digital amp.

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The only problem is that it's on the dock or via a third-party cable such as the Sik Din... but it is most definitely there. If you actually owned iPods as you claim, you would know that of course. Call me weird, but I think it's highly inappropriate for a moderator to be seeming to 'fake it'. I'm left wondering who the actual fanboy is.

Well, question my veracity all you like. Each of my sons has an Ipod. Neither has a dock or a Sik Din, thus no line out, OK? So I guess I should have said, my Ipod doesn't have a line out, rather than make a generalization. So you only get line out with a dock? To me that would be a minus, as I like to use the line out on my NW-HD1 to input to my Total Airhead portable amp to drive my Etymotic ER-4S earphones when I fly.

Also, I did indeed own a Hi-MD, but I took it back. It was a 600 and I used it for about a month.

So, no misinformation here. Just an opinion. Don't get me wrong, I like the ipod. I just don't find that it sounds better.

Sorry to mistake you for a fanboy. Didn't mean that to be so inflammatory. Guess I was in a mood. huh.gif

Thanks for the profile BTW. You have some nifty gear there!

Peace.

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I also had an iPod...sold it.

Made hearing tests for just a couple of days for a couple of hours....as a result I got an ear problem(still don't know what it is) just because it sounded to loud and I wanted to hear more punch in the sound...never there. I fyou put volume to low you don't get much sound to feel the music...if you put your volume up there was sound allright, but no punch, and the sound was biased to the high tones(guess that's what affected my ears). The best sound I could get was with my best phones, with my Hi-MD any phones sounds good.

I just couldn't get any equalization get to my feeling as Hi-MD.

As Leland, I don't want to start a flame war here, but just want to express that I prefer sony's punchy sound than iPod's flat singal.

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What you're referring to as punchy sound is probably the tiny op-amps crapping out, causing soft clipping, which sounds much like brickwall dynamic range compression.

Chances are, you didn't like the iPod because it was playing music that sounded the way it's supposed to, as opposed to compressed and distorted.

Just my $0.02.

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This post won't have many supporters, but I looked at an IPoD about a year ago, and at the time there was a 20GB Recorder HD MP3 player that Archos made (see this Amazon link), and when combined with the open source Rockbox software, and using the highest VBR settings on Exact Audio Copy (with Lame encoder), I found this Archos model to be far superior to the IPod which I used side by side...and cheaper.

I ended up returning the IPoD to my friend, and buying two of the Archos which has worked flawlessly for the last 18 months. I easily upgraded the HD to an 80 GB HD which allows me to hold a shitload of my 6500+ CD's. With the Etymotic ER4P/S or Sennheisser HD-600's (with HP amp), I cannot tell a difference in quality of sound output from the original CD, and cannot imagine that the Sony MZ-NH1 would sound any better, but don't know since I have never owned a MD player.

Now, I'm looking at the new MZ-NH1 purely for .wav recording of my own music and/or at live shows. I also have used the Sony PCMM1 DAT recorder, but I want more portability and digital USB-2 upload capability.

I do want to make sure that Sony get's the Sonic Stage revised to make sure that works before buying it. Any updates on that revision that is supposedly coming out this fall? I'm still amazed that there are no other portable products that you can buy that allows .wav recording. (I'm not interested in luggin my laptop around which would record as .wav format.)

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well if your not really worried about size or bulkiness, you could just get a creative nomad zen extra 3. i think their  highest  version of copacity is almost 80 gigs. (correct me if im wrong)

They are standard 20gb, but the HDD can be replaced with any size, although the unit's firmware limits the number of tracks to 16,000.

But... it's so huge. :whatever: NJB3 I'd never use for listening. It's as big as a PCDP and a whole lot heavier.

For listening pleasure, iPod pwns the NJB3. I don't know about the new Nomads (Zen Touch, which is really sexy looking) although they're still bulky compared to the barely-over-a-half-inch-thick iPod.

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yes they are quite LARGE! the pictures i saw of them were making them look like they were of the same size as the ipod but no! i went to futureshop to check it out and it is huge! thats why i am so paranoid about look dimensions on websites before i purchase (some people in reviews were also surprised). but for a person who needs that much space, id go with cori's idea of the zen touch(if its even out yet).

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taste is like you rear end, divided (to translate a local proverb).

basicly what one person defines as art or extramly good design someone else defines as garbage.

allso, cant a digital amp be bypassed or is it part of the decoder chip? it kinda dont make sense to have a line out port if its must come from the amp as then you can just use the headphone port...

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Before you start babbling on about appreciation of art, learn to spell.

:grin:

I must admit that I'm warming to the iPod's design after actually having used the device. It's very minimalist but remains powerfully flexible.

Although, I'd appreciate it greatly if Apple would release the big pods in the colors that the mini is in. Silver iPod = teh sex.

blink.gif Wonders at the design sense of some people...

I like the industrial, sleek, metallic looks in my things. You should see the case my PC is in (all silver and shiny with plexiglas and blue light). iPod somewhat looks like a toy, or a mutated Game Boy, to me. I really, really love the way the Sony MZ-N10 looks (although that's about all I like about it). It's so very cold-life looking. Too bad it doesn't sound nearly as good as it looks. :whatever:

Now this... this is a sexy looking digital audio player. Probably sounds like shit, though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/aeri...d120philips.jpg

If anyone here has this and knows if it's worth anything other than to look at and drool over, let me know. :grin:

Edit: 5mW+5mW headphone amp... ewwwwwwww. mad.gif

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iPod is more of a girly thing. 

Hi-MD is for the boys.

:laugh:  :laugh:  :rasp:  :laugh:

Last time I checked, I stand at the urinals. And in my impromptu MD poll recently, the slim majority were women. It seems that they find it too geeky to do the research before buying a portable and they're more susceptible to what the sales staff tell them (shame there is no 'utterly evil grin' icon here... so :utterly evil grin: ).

However, I am so totally secure in my maleness that even a pink iPod Mini (or a similar hued MD-DS30) wouldn't cause me any insecurity. Well, with my dress sense there's absolutely no chance of anyone thinking me Gay. (Although there is every chance of thinking me Geek)

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Last time I checked, I stand at the urinals. And in my impromptu MD poll recently, the slim majority were women. It seems that they find it too geeky to do the research before buying a portable and they're more susceptible to what the sales staff tell them (shame there is no 'utterly evil grin' icon here... so :utterly evil grin: ).

However, I am so totally secure in my maleness that even a pink iPod Mini (or a similar hued MD-DS30) wouldn't cause me any insecurity. Well, with my dress sense there's absolutely no chance of anyone thinking me Gay. (Although there is every chance of thinking me Geek)

*still wants a pink ipod mini* :rasp:

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However, I am so totally secure in my maleness that even a pink iPod Mini (or a similar hued MD-DS30) wouldn't cause me any insecurity. Well, with my dress sense there's absolutely no chance of anyone thinking me Gay. (Although there is every chance of thinking me Geek)

Are you implying that I am insecure? Pink colour is girl colour,regardless if you are insecure or not.

:rasp: :laugh: :laugh:

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